Local nurses found themselves out of a popular vaccine last week. The Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services ran out of its private supply of TDAP vaccinations, used to prevent against pertussis, on Oct. 8, said spokeswoman Shannon Clubb. A new shipment of 100 vaccines arrived Wednesday morning. Pertussis is commonly known as whooping cough.

Clubb said state law requires private vaccines be given to those not eligible to receive state vaccines under the N.C. Vaccines for Children Program. The program is designed to make sure no children go unvaccinated. Adults and children with insurance are given the private vaccines, the type that ran out at the local health department.

Clubb said according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some vaccines preventing against pertussis were in short supply from mid-August to mid-October. The shortage is blamed on the manufacturing process. Clubb said the influx of back-to-school shots played a role in depleting the supply at Gaston County DHHS. “We were, however, able to meet the back-to-school demand. We simply did not receive the shipment to replenish our supplies when expected,” she wrote in an email.

The pertussis vaccine is required for students entering kindergarten and sixth grade. It’s also recommended for pregnant women, those caring for infants, college students, and anyone who has not had a tetanus shot in the past decade.

Ordering more: Gaston County DHHS orders state vaccines through state health officials. Private vaccines arrive in Gastonia directly from pharmaceutical companies. Clubb said the latest shipment that arrived on Wednesday came from GlaxoSmithKline. She does not expect Gaston County DHHS to run out again, calling the probability “very unlikely.” The back-to-school need has been met, and as of Wednesday morning, the agency has plenty of both state and private vaccine in supply, she said. Gaston County DHHS will not order another shipment of the private vaccines until there are around 50 doses left available.

Clubb said some people coming to the local health clinic seeking TDAP vaccines said they were referred by their private physician. CaroMont Health has a supply of TDAP vaccines on hand, and uses an average of 50 doses per month, said spokeswoman Dallas Paddon. Anyone who contacted the Gaston County DHHS and was unable to get the pertussis vaccine is asked to call 704-853-5037. Clubb said nurses will work to get you vaccinated quickly.

You can reach Wade Allen at 704-869-1828 or twitter.com/GazetteWade.

Confirmed and probable whooping cough cases in Gaston County:

2013 (as of Sept. 30): 3

2012: 18

2011: 0

2010: 7

2009: 26

Source: N.C. Department of Health and Human Services

How many TDAP vaccines does the Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services give?

September: 320

August: 429

Average: Over the past six months, Gaston County DHHS has given an average of 196 TDAP vaccines per month.